Richard Nixon
Republican
President (1969-1974)
Vice President's Spiro T. Agnew (1969-1973) Gerald Ford (1973-1974)

Richard Nixon's presidency was a comeback of sorts. It began with his two terms of vice presidency, failed attempt to become president, and failed attempt to become Governor of California, in a farewell address to the press he said "you will no longer have Nixon to push around". But that all changed when he ran and was succeeded into the presidency. But his presidency was plagued with controversy, wether it's his vice president Agnew, or him self. Eventually the scandal leading him to resign, for the fact that he quit his job I reward nixon a D+.

Nixon wanted to establish good foreign relations, he was taking a strong policy, and made great strides with China. Also he tried to save the enviroment, making strong environmental programs. Also he tried to promote world stability by having summit meeting with USSR and China. He also tried to take away some of the strategically placed nukes.

Nixon's relationship with congress was so-so. He was successful in most of the things that he set out to do. Unfortunately most of the things he set out to do he did on his own. By setting summit meetings and making treaties between China and USSR he never really put a lot of attention into the domestic issues. The home front suffered because of this, the economy began to plunge. For this reason I say that it was so-so because he accomplished what he needed to just not always with the help of congress.

I would have to say that the best thing that he did as president was his foreign policies. He held summit meetings, and really made efforts to progress world stability. He tired to ease relations between China and USSR. He also had summit meetings with russia to limit the strategically placed nukes. Also getting us out of 'Nam and ending the drafts were high points in his presidential campaign.

The worst decision that he made was obviously was the watergate scandal. The story goes that he broke into the Democratic national convention to steal information during his re-election. Eventually this information leaked, and the press got ahold of it. For the last year of his presidency he was living in scandal. It eventually led him to resign his job as presidency, becoming the first to resign.

The thing that most influenced the new presidents was probably the watergate scandal. Not only did that force him to be the only president but it also forced Gerald Ford into office. It tainted the office of the presidency and years after people began to doubt the presidents. Gerald Ford missed the first term as VP and was VP for about a year and a half, then all of a sudden he was thrown into the presidency. Also on a better note he did get us out of 'Nam and did make a treaty that started to decrease the number of strategically placed nukes, and that was a step neccesary towards the end of the cold war.

I would have to say that the country was a little worse off. Although he did eliminate the draft and get us out of 'Nam and make treaties that began the end of the cold war. He also however was the only president ever to resign, and thus he ushered a new and inexperienced man into the job of presidency. Gerald Ford was inexperienced and all of a sudden he was at the helm of the presidency.


http://www.answers.com/topic/richard-nixon
http://millercenter.org/academic/americanpresident/nixon
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/rn37.html